Ravenwood High School’s Kendal Curran didn’t play a single minute during regulation or overtime, but the sophomore goalkeeper appeared on the state’s biggest stage Monday when her team needed her most – during a penalty kick shootout to decide the Class AAA state soccer championship. “I was standing on the line waiting for that whistle to blow and saw my teammates at midfield, I knew I just wanted to do it for them,” Curran said. “I don’t know, I just dove and they were there. It’s just amazing.” The sophomore energized the Lady Raptors with back-to-back diving stops as Ravenwood went on to repeat as state champions with a 1-0 shootout victory against Williamson County rival Franklin Monday at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex. Lady Raptor seniors Anna Major, Nora Henderson, Maddie Gleason and Josie Ricketts all converted on their PK attempts, capped by Ricketts’ goal that sent the team into a frenzy. “Going into it, I had no doubt in my mind we could do this,” Ricketts said of the shootout. “We all knew what we had to do and we were just in the right mind set from the start. We had to put it away.” “After I saw Kendal make that save and Anna make her shot, I had to score,” Henderson added of her attempt in the second round. "I wasn’t going to let anything happen otherwise.” First-year head coach Jessica Mancini said her team prepared for just such a moment. The Lady Raptor leader, who served as an assistant for three seasons prior to taking over as head coach, said Curran was going to be inserted into the lineup if any match at state had gone the full 100 minutes of regulation and overtime. Standout freshman Lexi Grundler made nine saves in goal for the Lady Raptors to hold up their scoreless side before joining her teammates at midfield to watch Curran go to work. “She was go-to if this ever came about,” Mancini said. “We had practiced it. As a goalkeeper, you just can’t get down if you miss one and I knew she would just push and push. She reads PKs so well and never gives up.” The match itself was a tension-filled battle in front of more than 500 rowdy fans as both schools brought loaded student sections to the midday championship affair. For 100 minutes, the District 12-AAA rivals battled like heavyweights in the boxing ring, trading blows but never quite breaking through. In the 68th, Taylor Hasan of Franklin had a one touch ball sail just wide of the right post in front of Grundler after a cross from Avery Brown. Henderson had a long ball slam into the crossbar later that nearly shifted the entire goal upon impact. Gracie Hill couldn’t put enough heat on a header attempt on the rebound as Franklin’s Matty Taylor came away with one of her eight saves. The Lady Admirals held a slim 20-19 edge on shots, but produced a 6-1 advantage in the two 10-minute overtime periods. “I thought both teams just traded blows,” Franklin coach Mike Burgoyne said. “It was just a battle of two evenly matched teams. I think it is fitting that it was 100 minutes scoreless.” Ricketts and Lillye Perez, along with help from Gleason and Leah Johnson helped keep much of the pressure off Grundler throughout play. On the other side, Franklin’s Brenna Swiger anchored a back row that rarely gave up any clear looks. “We just both wanted this so badly,” said Swiger, a senior. “It was back and forth the entire game. They would get a shot, then we would. It was really tiring, but I think it was just a great game. We battled as hard as we could.” Margaret DeFranco led the Lady Admirals with three shots on goal, while Henderson and Hill both had two for Ravenwood. “The way we were playing, the way everyone was engaged, it just sounded like noise around us and all we wanted to do was see that goal and go for it,” Henderson said. “You can tell everyone was 110 percent in that game.” The match marked the second season in a row it was an all-county battle in the final. The Lady Raptors up-ended Brentwood for their first championship last year. Mancini and Burgoyne both praised the county for producing such quality teams. The two coaches said playing in such a tough district better prepares them for the state stage. “Williamson County has some of the best soccer players in the state and we have proven that two years in a row,” Mancini said. “I think we could have competed for a championship if we had gotten out of the district in the last three years,” added Burgoyne, whose team reached the state stage for the first time since 2017. “It’s a tough district, but it prepares you for this.” As for that championship feeling after the final horn, the somewhat banged up Lady Raptors said they felt more relieved than ever. Henderson was playing on a tweaked knee suffered during the Maryville win in the quarterfinals, while several others played bandaged up as well. “I’m just beyond proud,” Ricketts said. “To be part of this team for four years and be able to go out like this, I’ll take it.” “I’m on cloud 9 right now,” Henderson added. “I’ll wake up tomorrow and think I was dreaming. It definitely hasn’t set in yet. We’re state champs.” Again.

Source:  Williamson Herald